I mustache you a question

Stevie mustache you a question.

Can you put yourself in the shoes of a parent with an immunocompromised child? (That’s a child with a fragile immune system.) This may be a child with an extreme autoimmune disease, cancer, an infant, an HIV-infected child, or so many other diseases I don’t have time to list.

If this isn’t your situation, count your blessings, because there ARE parents on constant high-alert for germs that could potentially kill their weak child. Those germs include vaccine-preventable viruses and bacteria.

Back into that parent’s shoes, your immunocompromised child might not be able to be vaccinated against these diseases, especially with live vaccines such as MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella).

Some of our best vaccines are live attenuated (weakened) vaccines, which contain whole viruses that are so weakened they are unable to cause disease. With this vaccine, as with all vaccines, the body makes immunity to the disease without making you sick.

The problem is that your child with a compromised immune system can’t fight off even a very weakened form of the virus. That means that he could end up sick.

Let’s say the doctor caring for your child doesn’t recommend he get live vaccines, which leaves your child exposed to potentially-deadly germs.

You are thankful because the community that surrounds your child is mostly vaccinated. This means the disease isn’t likely to have a host to enter and pass to other people. We call this community protected by herd immunity.

But what if the herd is dwindling and because other children are left unvaccinated, your child is now left exposed to a disease that could kill him.

America, as well as other countries around the world, were once measles-free. Now, many of these countries have lost their measles-free status due to falling vaccine rates.

You were worried about your child before, but now you’re especially worried about him contracting a disease his body may succumb to.

Back to you, parents of an unvaccinated healthy child. Think real hard about the situation you are putting other parents in. Not only is your unvaccinated child vulnerable, but so are many children who aren’t strong enough to be vaccinated.

You can contribute to the herd, or continue to destroy it. Don’t think your healthy, unvaccinated child is safe. Other parents have bought into the idea that vaccines aren’t safe, and have contributed to the dwindling of the herd.

You have allowed a place for disease to enter your community through your child.

Value the opinions of the experts and the facts. Think twice when the facts go against your beliefs. Stop searching for articles on the internet that support what you believe and that go against what experts are telling you.

You might say you don’t trust big pharma, but think about it. Does a company want a product that’s going to give them a bad reputation, or a product that has a proven safety record?

Vaccines are a product with a proven safety record.

The facts are that vaccines are safe and effective. Choose to be one who values facts over your incorrect opinions. Value the moral responsibility to protect your children and the children of your community.